DO YOU KNOW ME? Mike McCarthy may not be well-known outside of Green Bay, but the Packers coach is a big name in Titletown, especially among his players.Reuters

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — This is familiar, but new.

For as much as everyone wants to look back at that the Giants once did here, these Giants haven’t been here before. Oh, one-third of the roster remains intact and, after basking in the glory four years ago, that veteran contingent returns this afternoon to face the Packers at not-quite-as-frigid Lambeau Field. But every team, every year is different, and the Packers with Aaron Rodgers at the controls are better now than they were then.

“I think this is a whole new situation,’’ Eli Manning said. “It’s a new year, a new team, new players going against a new team.’’

This is new to many of them, but not to Manning. The upsurge of momentum that carried the Giants into the NFC divisional playoff round makes them a live underdog against the No. 1 seed Packers, but no one should mistake having a shot at taking the shot. The Packers are 15-1 for a reason. The Giants want to prove they are better than their 9-7 regular-season mark. The road onward goes through the best team in the NFL.

“We haven’t been in the playoffs in a while,’’ safety Kenny Phillips said, “so we’ll take any road.’’

The defending champion Packers have Rodgers aiming for another ring. The Giants have Manning at the top of his game but not on Rodgers’ level.

The Giants have an awakened defense they believe can withstand the greatness of one of the most prolific attacks in league history. The Packers are home. The Giants want to avoid getting sent home.

“It’s an incredible feeling, especially after having two years off to be back in this and the majority of the league is home watching us play,’’ guard Chris Snee said.

Snee was one of the 15 Giants who withstood the cold on Jan. 20, 2008, to beat the Packers 23-20 in overtime in the NFC Championship, but that means 30 players in uniform today were not here.

“We’re beyond the point of being intimidated,’ said Snee, who sneered at Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji this week calling the Giants offensive line “not the toughest group’’ he’s played against. “We respect them. We know they’re a good football team but c’mon, we’re not a bunch of rookies going in there. It will be a tough place to play, but intimidation? No.’’

A look inside the game:

BEST BATTLE

Packers LB Clay Matthews vs. Giants RT Kareem McKenzie. It wasn’t 20 minutes after last week’s playoff rout was in the books when tight end coach Mike Pope, walking out of the victorious locker room, already was thinking ahead.

‘This guy now, he’s a different animal,’’ Pope said. “This guy’’ is Matthews, and Pope knows his tight ends will have to help McKenzie contain the speed rushes of a true impact defensive player. The Packers aren’t great pass rushers up front, and Matthews’ six sacks lead the team.

HOT HAND IN COOL AIR

It is hard to depict the Packers as fading down the stretch, because they did come back from their lone loss to beat the Bears and Lions — beating Detroit with Rodgers on the bench — but when Rodgers takes the field today it will be for the first time since Christmas. Meanwhile, the Giants have been in playoff mode for three grueling weeks, beating the Jets, Cowboys then the Falcons in the playoffs in win-or-out type battles.

“I’ve seen it too many times, where it seems like a team that’s been counted out finds a way to right the ship,’’ Justin Tuck said. “It happened to us in ’07. It happened to Green Bay last year. There’s so much parity in this league that once a team figures it out and gets hot, it’s hard to stop. Hopefully that’s where we’re at right now. We’ve been here before. We know how this feeling feels. I think we’re poised to get on a run, but it’s going to be a tough ride.’’

JAM GAME

The onus is on the Giants front four to collapse the pocket around Rodgers, and no team in the league is more equipped to do that than a defensive line featuring Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora. Sacks and pressure aren’t instantaneous, though, and the responsibility falls on the defensive backs to stay aggressive and prevent free releases off the line by Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, James Jones and Donald Driver.

“You can get your hands on the receivers, disrupt those routes, disrupt the timing of their rhythm of their offense and then get to the quarterback. You rattle him a little bit, you get him thinking about where the next sack might come from, it changes the dynamic of the game,’’ linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said.

“Throw the timing off, make sure we punch ’em in their mouth first,’’ safety Deon Grant said. “When we have chance to be physical, make sure we be as physical as we can with ’em.’’

MORE TURNOVERS THAN A BAKERY

The Packers were plus-24 in turnovers this season — only the 49ers at plus-28 were better — and led the league with 31 interceptions. Last season, Manning matched a career-high with four interceptions, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw both lost fumbles and the six turnovers were damning and dooming in a 45-17 beat-down at Lambeau. Failed ball security is a sure way to turn a tight game into a goner.

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO

The Packers have one of the best, if not the best, group of receivers in the league. The Giants counter with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham, and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is certain his crew wants to prove a point.

“I think they’re looking forward to the challenge of not only beating the Packers, but also proving that they’re in the same class as the Packers receivers,’’ Gilbride said.

Paul’s Pick

The Giants would be better off with old-man Brett Favre and not young-man Aaron Rodgers slinging the football for the Packers. Eli Manning and the pass rush always give Tom Coughlin’s team a puncher’s chance, but have a feeling Green Bay’s suspect defense will rise to the occasion. PACKERS 31, GIANTS 17